Modular speaker system

ABSTRACT

A modular speaker system includes a plurality of speaker modules configured prior to use to function in reproducing various sound channels depending upon specific desires of a user. Each of the plurality of speaker modules includes a substantially cylindrical housing including an open first end and a closed second end, as well as a cylindrical sidewall extending between the first end and the second end. Each speaker module also includes a first driver secured within the first end of the housing, the first driver being mounted within the first end of the housing for directing sound outwardly, and a second driver positioned within the housing at a central position between the first end and the second end of the housing. A plurality of circular rings are positioned around the housing allowing for control of the speaker module in various ways.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/416,244, entitled “MODULAR SPEAKER SYSTEM,”filed Nov. 2, 2016.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a modular speaker system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Speaker technology has consistently attempted to reproduce a recordedsound in the most realistic manner possible. The vast majority ofspeaker designs employ a variety of sound drivers mounted within anacoustic box. The sound drivers are mounted along a face of the acousticbox in the direction along which the sound is to be directed. Thesedesigns are static and not amenable to variation as the needs of theuser change or as the speakers are moved from location to location.

In today's mobile ever changing society, it is important that consumerproducts be useful for various purposes and in a variety ofenvironments. As such, a need exists for small, aesthetically pleasingspeakers, which do not sacrifice sound quality for the ability to modifyor otherwise use the loudspeakers in various environments. The presentspeaker system addresses these deficiencies by providing a modularspeaker that is versatile, small, and easily adapted to suit variousenvironments and listening needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide amodular speaker system including a plurality of speaker modulesconfigured prior to use to function in reproducing various soundchannels depending upon specific desires of a user. Each of theplurality of speaker modules includes a substantially cylindricalhousing including an open first end and a closed second end, as well asa cylindrical sidewall extending between the first end and the secondend. A first driver is secured within the first end of the housing, thefirst driver being mounted within the first end of the housing fordirecting sound outwardly. A second driver is positioned within thehousing at a central position between the first end and the second endof the housing. A plurality of circular rings are positioned around thehousing allowing for control of the speaker module in various ways.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein the first driver completely closes off a centralaperture at the first end of the housing and seals an interior of thehousing from an external environment and the second driver is mounted inalignment with the first driver such that a central longitudinal axis ofthe housing extends through a center of both the first driver and thesecond driver.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein an enclosure isolates the first driver within thehousing and the enclosure creates first and second isolated chamberswithin the housing, the first driver being within the first isolatedchamber and the second driver being within the second isolated chamber.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein the enclosure is substantially cup-shaped.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein slits are formed in the housing and are part ofthe second isolated chamber such that audio signals generated by thesecond driver may pass through the slits.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein the plurality of rings includes first, second,third, fourth and fifth rings positioned about the housing from the openfirst end thereof to the closed second end thereof.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein one of the plurality of rings pivots about thehousing for the purpose of turning the speaker module on or off.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein one of the plurality of rings moves between afirst position and a second position to switch the speaker module from anominal 4 ohm operating configuration to a nominal 8 ohm operatingconfiguration.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein one of the plurality of rings rotates to open aport within the side wall of the housing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein one of the plurality of rings functions as astand member allowing for elevation of the speaker module as a desiredby user.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein the one of the plurality of rings includes anarcuate semi-circular first member and an arcuate semi-circular secondmember, the first member being pivotally secured to the housing formovement between different configurations.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein each of the rings includes a plurality of flatsurfaces equidistantly positioned about the circumference thereof, theflat surfaces being shaped and dimensioned for attachment to the flatsurfaces of other speaker modules such that the speaker modules may beconnected in a desired manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein the flat surfaces are magnetically active.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modularspeaker system wherein the flat surfaces include electrical leadsallowing for communication amongst the various speaker modules.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a speakermodule configured prior to use to function in reproducing various soundchannels depending upon specific desires of a user. The speaker moduleincludes a substantially cylindrical housing including an open first endand a closed second end, as well as a cylindrical sidewall extendingbetween the first end and the second end. A first driver is securedwithin the first end of the housing, the first driver being mountedwithin the first end of the housing for directing sound outwardly. Asecond driver is positioned within the housing at a central positionbetween the first end and the second end of the housing. A plurality ofcircular rings are positioned around the housing allowing for control ofthe speaker module in various ways.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description when viewed inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth certainembodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a speaker system including a pluralityof speaker modules in accordance with a preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a speaker module in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively view of the speaker module in a ringconfiguration, a forward support configuration, and a downward supportconfiguration.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are respectively a cut-away view and a cross-sectionalview of the speaker module shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The detailed embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein. Itshould be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiment is merelyexemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms.Therefore, the details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted aslimiting, but merely as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art howto make and/or use the invention.

With reference to the various figures, a modular speaker system 10 isdisclosed. The modular speaker system 10 includes a plurality of speakermodules 12 which may be selectively connected in a variety ofconfigurations depending upon the desires and requirements of the user.

With the exception of details discussed below, each of the speakermodules 12 is identical. When used in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention, the speaker modules 12 areconfigured prior to use to function in reproducing various soundchannels, for example, low frequency, high frequency, mid-range,left/right, etc., depending upon the specific desires of the user.

One of the speaker modules 12 will now be described in detail. It shouldbe appreciated that the following explanation applies to the otherspeaker modules, with the exception of permissible variations asdiscussed throughout the present disclosure.

The speaker module 12 includes a substantially cylindrical housing 14.The housing 14 includes a first end 16 (open with a central aperture 56and slits (or slots, channels, or ducting) 58) and a closed second end18, as well as a cylindrical sidewall 19 extending between the first end16 and the second end 18. The housing 14 is preferably made fromaluminum, stainless steel, plastic, resins, carbon fiber or othermaterials offering desirable acoustic characteristics (and so as toallow some the complex shapes to be 3-D printed (that is, produced viaadditive manufacturing).

The housing 14 supports a first driver 20 in the first end 16 thereof.The first driver 20 is mounted within the first end 16 of the housing 14such that the driver's magnet 21 is positioned within the housing 14while the driver cone 22 faces away from the interior of the housing 14for directing sound outwardly. In particular, the first end 16 of thehousing 14 is provided with an inwardly directed annular support ring 54defining a central aperture 56. The first driver 20 is mounted withinthe central aperture 56 such that the concave portion of the driver cone22 is directed away from the interior of the housing 14, while theconvex portion of the driver cone 24 and the magnet are directed towardthe interior of the housing 14. The first driver 20 also includes afrusto-conical driver support 23, which is directly secured to theannular support ring 54 and holds the magnet 21 and driver cone 22 at aposition above the first end 16 of the housing 14. The first driver 20completely closes off the central aperture 56 at the first end 16 of thehousing 14 and seals the interior of the housing 14 from the externalenvironment, with the exception of radially oriented slits 58 formed inthe annular support ring 54 and selectively opened ports (not shown) inthe side walls 26 of the housing 14 that will be discussed in greaterdetail below.

Adhesive secures the first driver 20, in particular, the frusto-conicaldriver support 23 of the first driver 20, to the inwardly directed edge54 e of the annular support ring 54, although other mounting techniquesmay be used without departing from the spirit of the present inventionso long as the first driver 20 completely closes off the centralaperture 56 at the first end 16 of the housing 14, sealing the interiorof the housing 14 from the external environment.

A second driver 60 is positioned within the housing 14. In particular,the second driver 60 is mounted within the housing 14 at a centralposition between the first end 16 and the second end 18 of the housing14. The second driver 60 is mounted in alignment with the first driver20 such that a central longitudinal axis of the housing 14 extendsthrough the center of both the first driver 20 and the second driver 60.The second driver 60 is mounted such that the driver's magnet 61 facesthe second end 18 of the housing 14 while the driver cone 62 faces thefirst end 16 of the housing 14 for directing sound toward the first end16 of the housing 14 and the first driver 20. In particular, the seconddriver 60 is mounted within the housing 16 such that the concave portionof the driver cone 62 is directed away from the second end 18 of thehousing 14, while the convex portion of the driver cone 62 and themagnet 61 are directed toward the second end 18 of the housing 14. Thesecond driver 60 completely closes off the housing 14 and divides theinterior of the housing 14 into an upper portion 66 adjacent the firstend 16 of the housing 14 and a lower portion 68 adjacent the second end18 of the housing 14. Sound generated by the second driver 60 ispermitted to escape the housing 14 by way of the slits 58 formed in theannular support ring 54. The positioning of the slits 58 within theannular support ring 54 adjacent the first end 16 of the housing 14allows for the directional sound generated by the second driver 60 to becoaxial with the directional sound generated by the first driver 50.Adhesive secures the edges of the second driver 60 to the interior wall70 of the housing 14, although other mounting techniques may be usedwithout departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Isolation of the first driver 20 within the housing 14 is achieved bythe provision of an enclosure 72 secured to the inner end 76 of theannular support ring 54. In particular, annular support ring 54 includesan inner end 76 and an outer end 78. The outer end 78 is secured to thecylindrical sidewall 19 at the first end 16 of the housing 14 such thatthe annular support ring 54 extends radially inward from the outer end78 to the inner end 76. The enclosure 72 creates first and secondisolated chambers 84, 86 within the housing 14. In particular, the firstdriver 20 is within the first isolated chamber 84 and the second driver60 is within the second isolated chamber 86. In this way the sound andheat generated by the first and second drivers 20, 60 provide for anoptimal audio expression. For example, the first and second drivers 20,60 have an influence on each other, as a result of resonances of theenclosure 72. The overall effect sought in accordance with the presentinvention is the musical marriage of the first and second drivers 20,60, as well as the enclosure 72, to provide a natural and homogeneousaudio expression

More particularly, the enclosure 72 is substantially cup-shaped andincludes an open first end 80 secured to the annular support ring 54adjacent the inner end 76 thereof and a closed second end 82 extendingdownwardly into the housing 14. By securing the enclosure 72 adjacent tothe inner end 76 of the annular support ring 54, that portion of theannular support ring 54 between the enclosure 72 and the outer end 78 iswithin the second isolated chamber 86. As such, the slits 58 formed inthe annular support ring 54 are formed between the enclosure 72 and theouter end 78 so as to be part of the second isolated chamber 86 allowingaudio signals generated by the second driver 60 to pass through theslits 58. That is, the sound waves generated by the second driver 60pass upwardly toward the first end 16 of the housing 14, around theenclosure 72, and are omitted through the slits 58.

In accordance with preferred embodiments, the first driver 20 is amid-high frequency driver, and the second driver 60 is a micro-woofer ora low-mid frequency driver. In fact, and as will be appreciated basedupon the following disclosure, a user will preferably have access to aplurality of speaker modules 12 with different drivers. The user will,therefore, combine the speaker modules 12 in a manner to optimize thereproduction of the sound to suit the specific needs of the user.

Positioned around the housing 14 is a series of circular rings 30, 32,34, 36, 38. The rings 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 allow for control of thespeaker modules 12 in various ways. In particular, first, second, third,fourth, and fifth rings 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 are positioned about thehousing 14 and extend from the open first end 16 thereof to the closedsecond end 18 thereof. The first ring 30 is positioned adjacent the openfirst end 16 of the housing 14, the fifth ring 38 is positioned adjacentthe closed second end 18 of the housing 14 and the remaining rings 32,34, 36 are positioned between the first ring 30 and the fifth ring 38 inan equidistant arrangement. With regard to the second ring 32, it isdesigned to pivot about the housing 14 for the purpose of turning thespeaker module 12 on or off. As such, it may be rotated between firstand second positions where the first position powers up the speakermodule 12 and the second position turns off the speaker module 12. Thefifth ring 38 is designed to move in a similar manner between a firstposition and a second position so as to switch the speaker module 12from a nominal 4 ohm operating configuration to a nominal 8 ohmoperating configuration. This impedance switching capability allows foroptimization of any connected audio amplifier and, additionally, allowsfor multiple speaker modules 12 to be interconnected with impedanceloading being determined by using either series or parallel connectionsor a combination thereof. Still further, the central third ring 34 isadapted for rotation in such a way that rotation opens a port(s) 35within the side walls 26 of the housing 14 by aligning an aperture(s) 37in the central third ring 34 with the port(s) 35 as the central thirdring 34 is rotated. It is appreciated the functionalities offered by thevarious rings may be distributed amongst the rings in a variety of waysto suit the needs for specific applications and functionalities.

In addition, and as the figures show, the rings 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 arenot perfectly flat along their outer surfaces but rather include aplurality of flat surfaces 40 equidistantly positioned about thecircumference thereof. These flat surfaces 40 are shaped and dimensionedfor attachment to the flat surfaces 40 of other speaker modules 12 suchthat the speaker modules 12 may be connected in a desired manner. Withthis in mind, these flat surfaces 40 are magnetically active so thatmagnetic attraction will allow for the connection of adjacent modules 12in a variety of desired configurations. Still further, these flatsurfaces 40 include electrical leads 49 allowing for communicationamongst the various speaker modules 12. The electrical leads 49 areconnected in an intricate circuit pattern (not shown) to allow forconnection of the various speaker modules 12 as desired by the user. Forexample, the speaker modules 12 may be connected in parallel, may beconnected in series, or may be connected in other ways that allow foroptimized use thereof.

Further versatility is achieved by structuring the first ring 30 tofunction as a stand member allowing for elevation of the speaker module12 as a desired by user. The first ring 30 is composed of an arcuatesemi-circular first member 50 and an arcuate semi-circular second member52. The first member 50 is pivotally secured to the housing 14 formovement between a ring configuration (see FIG. 3 where the first andsecond members 50, 52 define a ring), a forward support configuration(see FIG. 4) and a downward support configuration (see FIG. 5).

When the first member 50 is rotated to the forward supportconfiguration, the first member 50 provides lateral support such thatwhen the speaker module 12 is placed upon a support surface it will notroll as the first member 50 extends laterally to limit the ability forlateral movement. When the first member 50 is rotated to the downwardsupport configuration, the first member 50 provides both lateral supportand horizontal support such that when the speaker module 12 is placedupon a support surface it will not roll and the open second end 18 issupported above the support surface while the closed second end 18 sitsdirectly upon the support surface.

More particularly, both the first member 50 and the second member 52 arearcuate and include a first end 50 a, 52 a and a second end 50 b, 52 b.The second member 52 is secured about the housing 14 such that thecentral radial axis defined by the second member 52 is the same as thecentral longitudinal axis of the housing 14.

In contrast, the first member 50 is secured to the housing 14 so that itmay be rotated to various positions as discussed above. The first member50, therefore, includes a central section 50 c between the first end 50a and the second end 50 b. The central section 50 c is pivotally securedto the housing 14 such that the first end 50 a and the second end 50 bmay be rotated toward and away from the housing 14 as desired by theuser.

When in the ring configuration as shown in FIG. 3, the first ring 50 ispositioned such that first ends 50 a, 52 a and second ends 50 b, 52 b ofthe first and second members 50, 52 are respectively positioned adjacenteach other such that the first member 50 and the second member 52 definea complete circular path. As such, and when in this configuration, thecentral radial axis defined by the first member 50 is the same as thecentral longitudinal axis of the housing 14 and the central radial axisof the second member 52.

Rotation of the first member 50 ninety degrees from the ringconfiguration results in the first member 50 assuming the forwardsupport configuration (see FIG. 4). In this configuration, the first andsecond ends 50 a, 50 b of the first member 50 point toward the first end16 of the housing 14 and the first member 50 lies in a plane that issubstantially perpendicular to the plane in which the second member 52lies. Still further, the central radial axis defined by the first member50 is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the housing 14and the central radial axis of the second member 52.

Rotation of the first member 50 one-hundred eighty degrees from the ringconfiguration results in the first member 50 assuming the downwardsupport configuration (see FIG. 5). In this configuration, the first andsecond ends 50 a, 50 b of the first ring 50 point away from the centrallongitudinal axis of the housing 14 and the first member 50 lies in aplane that is substantially the same as the plane in which the secondmember 52 lies. Still further, the central radial axis defined by thefirst member 50 is parallel to the central longitudinal axis of thehousing 14 and the central radial axis of the second member 52.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the speaker modules12 are provided with known connection structures (not shown) for linkingwith a sound source. Further, it is also appreciated, the speakermodules 12 may be provided with a Bluetooth transceiver for wirelesssignal transmission.

While the preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it willbe understood that there is no intent to limit the invention by suchdisclosure, but rather, it is intended to cover all modifications andalternate constructions falling within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A modular speaker system, comprising: a plurality of speaker modulesconfigured prior to use to function in reproducing various soundchannels depending upon specific desires of a user, each of theplurality of speaker modules comprising: a substantially cylindricalhousing including an open first end and a closed second end, as well asa cylindrical sidewall extending between the first end and the secondend; a first driver secured within the first end of the housing, thefirst driver being mounted within the first end of the housing fordirecting sound outwardly; a second driver positioned within the housingat a central position between the first end and the second end of thehousing; a plurality of circular rings positioned around the housingallowing for control of the speaker module in various ways.
 2. Themodular speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the first drivercompletely closes off a central aperture at the first end of the housingand seals an interior of the housing from an external environment andthe second driver is mounted in alignment with the first driver suchthat a central longitudinal axis of the housing extends through a centerof both the first driver and the second driver.
 3. The modular speakersystem according to claim 1, wherein an enclosure isolates the firstdriver within the housing, and the enclosure creates first and secondisolated chambers within the housing, the first driver being within thefirst isolated chamber and the second driver being within the secondisolated chamber.
 4. The modular speaker system according to claim 3,wherein the enclosure is substantially cup-shaped.
 5. The modularspeaker system according to claim 4, wherein slits are formed in thehousing and are part of the second isolated chamber such that audiosignals generated by the second driver may pass through the slits. 6.The modular speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the pluralityof rings includes first, second, third, fourth and fifth ringspositioned about the housing from the open first end thereof to theclosed second end thereof.
 7. (canceled)
 9. The modular speaker systemaccording to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of rings rotates toopen a port within the side wall of the housing.
 10. The modular speakersystem according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of ringsfunctions as a stand member allowing for elevation of the speaker moduleas a desired by user. 11-14. (canceled)
 15. A speaker module configuredprior to use to function in reproducing various sound channels dependingupon specific desires of a user, comprising: a substantially cylindricalhousing including an open first end and a closed second end, as well asa cylindrical sidewall extending between the first end and the secondend; a first driver secured within the first end of the housing, thefirst driver being mounted within the first end of the housing fordirecting sound outwardly; a second driver positioned within the housingat a central position between the first end and the second end of thehousing; a plurality of circular rings positioned around the housingallowing for control of the speaker module in various ways. 16-21.(canceled)